


The Winter Village

by pinkdiamonds



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: AU, Character Death Fix, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-26
Updated: 2011-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-15 02:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has an encounter that changes everything. A sweet and sappy fantasy that is an AU Meridian Fix</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Winter Village

**Author's Note:**

> Cover art by Astroskylark.

 

The woman sat and waited. She had one last thing to accomplish before she could turn the village over to one of her many daughters or granddaughters. Even now at the homestead, her children and their daughters were undergoing the testing.

But for now, she waited, surrounded by sons and nephews and grandsons, all of them standing guard, protecting what was theirs. Across the vast distance, she could feel his pain and his anger and his guilt, and his grief, but especially, his longing.

She could ease all this for him, if he but gave her a chance. She could sense his reluctance to continue; it would be her largest obstacle.

There were others with him, one awash in guilt, and two whose beginning acceptance was tempering their pain and grief. It was only him, a seasoned warrior, that she was there to help.

Faolan, her eldest son brought her a mug of warm wine and a bowl of rich, meaty broth to sup on while she waited. It would not be long.

~*~

SG1 stepped out of the wormhole and onto the platform that held the Stargate, looking around. Surrounded by trees, an obvious path lie in front of the steps leading up to the ‘gate.

“Trees. How unusual,” Jack sighed. It was obviously winter on P24-313. The air was frigid and the trees were stripped of their leaves. The early morning sun shone dimly in a cloudless sky, warming nothing.

“The UAV picked up a few buildings not more than two klicks from here,” Jonas informed the group. He’d been part of SG1 for six months and Colonel O’Neill still had the tendency to ignore him.

Jack looked at Carter and Teal’c for confirmation. Seeing a slight nod from Carter, he moved them out. “Let’s go see if these nice folks have anything interesting.”

Halfway there, they were met by a group of twenty men, dressed in leather jerkins, and heavy woolen pants and shirts, and armed with rifles. Their leader, a man in his fifties strode up to Jack. “You are the leader,” he stated.

An unobtrusive signal sent his kinsmen in a loose semicircle around SG1. “I am Faolan. My mother, Caoimhe awaits you,” he said.

“Your mother, huh?” Jack asked wryly. SG1’s weapons were superior, but they were outmanned. Sensing no hostility from the group of men, Jack was inclined to let the men surround his team without response.

Beckoning the four travelers to follow, he led them to the buildings the UAV had spotted.

The largest structure sat in the center of a cleared circle in the middle of a field. A barn, from which horses could be heard, was some distance away at the very edge of the circle. Two identical buildings sat on either side of the largest structure.

Sturdily built, but without ornamentation of any kind, the buildings looked as though they were dropped in this clearing from the sky. It was clear that this was no village. There were no women or children to be seen, nor were there any activities taking place that would indicate a permanent settlement, despite the weather.

“My brother Lorcan will see to your people. My mother has directed me to bring you to her immediately,” Faolan ordered. “I must ask you all to surrender your weapons.”

“Well, that could be a bit of a problem, Faolan. We rely on our weapons for defense and I’m not all that comfortable splitting my team just yet,” Jack hedged.

“I promise you, no harm shall come to you or your people,” Faolan assured Jack. He was a warrior as well, and understood the vulnerability Jack was experiencing.

Before Jack could answer, a tiny woman, obviously old, but still slim and straight appeared at the door of the largest building. “You have my word as guardian of Blathnaid that you and your people are safe.”

Jack reluctantly looked to Jonas, who was nearly squirming with the urge to impart what he felt was vital information. “I think it’s okay, Colonel. Their names sound Gaelic, which would imply a tradition of hospitality.”

Unwilling to begin firing on an old woman, Jack surrendered his weapon and nodded to his team to do the same. The rest of SG1 were led to the building on the left, while Faolan, his hand on Jack’s back led him to the center structure and the woman standing at the entrance.

“You’ll see to a meal, Faolan?” Caoimhe requested.

“Of course. Diarmuid will be over with it shortly,” he replied. His youngest son would be sure to set this warrior’s mind at ease.

~*~

“Come…” the woman hesitated.

“Colonel Jack O’Neill, Ma’am,” I answered her unspoken question.

“O’Neill,” she murmured, seeming to savor my name. “It is from Niall, meaning passionate. You are well named, I think, Colonel.”

She led me to an enormous central room, and with her small hand heavy on my shoulder, indicated I should sit at the tiny table close to the entrance of the room. The multi-level shelving that took up most of the sides of the room and the many tables that sat in the center of the room immediately caught my eye. The room seemed built to hold this display.

With a knowing eye, she smiled at me. “You may look,” she said, giving permission.

I rose and slowly walked from table to table and shelf to shelf. The tables and shelves held miniature villages, or perhaps towns, several of them. There were school buildings, and shops, and restaurants, and farms, and any number of other places one would see in a village or town. I looked a bit closer and saw lakes and ponds and boats and cars. It was perfect in its detail.

“Interesting display you’ve got here,” I remarked, turning to look at the elderly woman.

A knock interrupted any explanations that might be forthcoming. “Would you mind fetching the tray, O’Neill?”

I opened the door to a young man laden with a heavy tray. I smiled my thanks at the young man and nudged the door shut with my foot. I set the tray down, waiting for Caoimhe to begin eating, before I dug in. A pitcher of ale had been provided and I sipped at it slowly. It was easily the best ale I’d ever tasted.

“I have been expecting you, Colonel, and waiting for you for a number of days now,” the woman said once I’d had a taste of my ale. I’m sure I must have looked bemused, because she laughed. “Eat, O’Neill, and I will tell you of Blathnaid.”

Deciding on a pastry, I bit into it deeply, the juices from roasted meat overflowing, as I settled in to listen.

“Our ancestors were brought here generations ago by evil gods. Soon after, a powerful race of beings drove away the evil ones. They did not stay with us long, but they did take wives and husbands from among us. What you see in this dwelling is their legacy.”

“Their legacy?” I asked, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from my tone. Seemed like they would have been better off with something a bit more useful than a room filled with miniatures.

Caoimhe’s lined face crinkled in laughter again at my somewhat impertinent question. “We were gifted with the ability to heal those in pain, Colonel. The pain that no healer can touch. The pain of the spirit.”

I kept my face blank, not wanting her to see any reaction at all from me. The pain of the spirit, hmm? That was something I knew a little about. The first time I’d suffered that particular pain, Daniel had healed me. Now that he was gone, I’d been thinking the only cure to be had was at the end of my service revolver.

“That’s very nice and all, but you said you’ve been waiting for me,” I prodded.

“Yes, Colonel. I felt your pain. It’s no coincidence that you and your people have come to Blathnaid,” she said kindly.

Whatever this was, I wanted no part of it and I stood to leave. “Thank you for your hospitality,” I drawled, intending to get out as fast as I could.

“Listen!” Caoimhe instructed, her green eyes glittering and fierce as she grabbed my arm with surprising strength.

I did as she asked and a slow swell of sound was rising from the villages. Bells and people and animals, and laughter were getting louder and louder. “Wha…” I asked confused and suddenly weak. Caoimhe’s face was fading and I hit the floor.

~*~

I awoke in a worn and comfortable recliner, a soft blanket covering me, as a fire burned brightly before me. A still steaming cup of what smelled like coffee was on a small table off to my side. My small movements awoke a large gray dog curled on a thick rug before the fire.

I gathered my thoughts together and remembered the old woman, Caoimhe, and her telling me about healing pain. Great, I thought. It figured. I put in my papers and with only two weeks to go, I land in a situation that could be putting my team in danger. God only knew what the alien definition of healing pain involved. For all I knew it could mean being burned at the stake.

I didn’t give a damn about me, but I didn’t want Carter and Teal’c to pay the price for my inattention or my lack of caring. I was done. I knew it and Hammond knew it. I hadn’t yet told my team. I was planning to tell them once I was gone and in Minnesota. No time for them to hound me about staying.

Pushing aside the blanket, I got out of the chair, registering the fact that I was now wearing a pair of worn jeans and a sweatshirt. Other than the dog, I was alone, but I heard small noises coming from a room beyond this one.

Picking up the fireplace poker, I quietly made my way to the sounds. The room was a kitchen and there was a man, also in jeans, checking a roasting something in the oven.

He straightened and turned, a broad smile on his beautiful face. “How was your nap?” he asked. “I’m glad you’re up, dinner’s almost ready.”

“Daniel?” I gasped. I was either dead or locked up in an asylum somewhere. Daniel had died… ascended six months ago.

“Would you mind setting the table?” he asked.

I could only stare. He looked fine, perfectly healthy; his skin clear, his blue eyes the untroubled turquoise I saw so often in my dreams.

“Daniel, not that I’m not glad to see you, but what the hell is going on?” I demanded. I _was_ glad to see him. Overjoyed. I didn’t much care if I was dead or insane, if only I could stay with him, like this, for a lifetime or two,

“Wouldn’t you rather eat first?”

“No, Daniel, I damn well wouldn’t!” I would have liked nothing better, but I needed to know that Carter and Teal’c and even that weasel, Quinn, were safe first.

Pointing to a chair at the table, Daniel told me to sit down. He fetched the coffee from the living room, placing it in front of me. He glanced at the cup and then at my mouth, silently ordering me to drink.

He refused to talk until I’d had a sip or two of the strong brew. ‘I know you’re confused right now, Jack.”

“Oh, ya think?” I ground out sarcastically.

“This… place exists in two different planes of reality, yours and mine. A powerful race of aliens gave it as a gift to Caoimhe’s people generations ago. They were dying and choose a simple people to give it to, in the hope they would use it to help those in need,” Daniel began explaining to me.

“I don’t understand, Daniel. Are you saying I’m _in_ the village?” I asked.

“Well, sort of. Let’s just say that being here is a respite from the reality you’ve been living. Caoimhe’s line can sense people in need of this place, people in need of healing they can’t get elsewhere. Sometimes the doorway between the two realities opens up like it did for you, sometimes it remains closed,” he informed me in terms I could understand. I knew the village had to be far more complicated than Daniel was saying, but I didn’t really need to understand the intricacies.

“How do you know about Caoimhe?” I wanted to know.

“Caoimhe and the women of her line can cross through the doorway at will. I… felt her waiting for me here several days ago.” Daniel started and then stopped. I’m sure Daniel was leaving out most of the story, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. That he was here was all that mattered to me.

“Teal’c and Carter?” The most important question.

“They’re fine, Jack. Enjoying the hospitality of Faolan and his men,” he answered.

I believed him. I knew how much Daniel had cared about Carter and Teal’c; if they had been in danger, he would have told me. Easing my guard, I smiled, finally letting him know how happy I was to see him. “So, what’s for dinner?”

~*~

The next two weeks sped by. Daniel and I spent time in the village, just living life; we played chess with the men who routinely hung out by the general store, flirted with the waitress at the diner, walked, cooked, ate, enjoyed the snowstorm that dumped six inches on us and talked.

We also spent a lot of time in bed making love. I felt safe in this world a step out of reality and so I finally told him what I’d kept hidden for years. He hadn’t been surprised, only glad I could admit what he’d known about for nearly as long as me; that I was in love with him. That he felt the same was among the most precious gifts I’d ever received.

I could rarely remember an interlude in my life that I’d enjoyed more. I knew I should be questioning all of this and attempting to return to Caoimhe and my team, but with everyday that passed, it seemed less important. The only thing that really mattered was spending time with Daniel. I knew I was being selfish, but I couldn’t help myself.

I would have been happy to spend the rest of my life here with Daniel, in this small village, surrounded by good and decent people. For the first time in months, I was feeling something other than pain. The longing I’d felt for Daniel since his death had been a wound that was ripped open every day. This time with him was infinitely precious.

He was curled deep in my arms when he told me our time together was nearly over.

“No. Why can’t we just stay here?” I raged.

“You still have work to do through the Stargate, Jack,” he told me.

I sat up in bed, turning my back on him, struggling to bring my wayward emotions under control. “I can’t be without you, Daniel. Not after all this. It was hard enough before,” I said, already beginning to mourn the loss of him once again.

He wrapped his arms around me and began whispering urgently in my ear. I looked into his eyes, no longer caring about the tears running down my face, needing desperately to see if he was telling me the truth.

“Do you promise?” I demanded, emotion roughening my voice.

“I promise, Jack, I promise,” he murmured, kissing me and pushing me down on the bed.

We made love the rest of the night, holding each other and kissing, both of us unwilling to sleep and miss a moment of time with each other. When dawn neared, we stood on the porch of the house and watched the sun rise, both of us sleepy and sated.

One moment I was spooned behind Daniel, cradling him and the next I was on the floor staring up at the miniature village and Caoimhe gently smiling down at me, joy in her eyes.

She brought me a glass of the excellent ale, handing it to me. “Drink this before you attempt to rise.”

I drank the entire mug in one long gulp, blessing her for not forcing me to get up. I wasn’t sure my legs would hold me just yet. When I felt sure I wouldn’t fall down, I rose and looked closely at the village in front of me.

It was now quiet, but I could see the house where I’d spent the last two weeks and I easily picked out familiar buildings. I held Daniel’s promise close and tried not to regret he wasn’t coming home with me today.

“Come, O’Neill. You need to eat,” Caoimhe said, leading me to the table and the covered tray. I was surprised the food was still warm and I began eating ravenously, while she watched and smiled, occasionally nodding her head.

When I had eaten my fill and turned over the events of the last two weeks, a sudden fear gripped me. I grabbed Caoimhe’s hand and begged, “Please tell me it was real!”

“Yes, Colonel, it was real. Do you think our legacy is so worthless now?”

“No, Ma’am. It’s probably the best legacy in the universe. Believe me, I’m all kinds of grateful,” I babbled. I wanted to leave, even more quickly than I had before, but I didn’t want to insult my hostess. I guess she’d been around long enough to read the signs.

“Your team has finished eating, and they await you outside, O’Neill,” she said, eying me speculatively. “You have regained your passion?”

“Oh, you betcha! Thanks, thanks for everything,” I told her sincerely, bending down to carefully scoop her up in a hug and kiss her soft, wrinkled cheek.

It seemed to take forever for my team and I to say goodbye, but we were eventually on our way to the ‘gate.

Carter’s face was disappointed. “Nice people, Sir, but they have nothing we’d be interested in.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Carter. I did get the name of a planet and a gate address where I’m told we’ll find something quite useful to us,” I announced.

“Really? What planet, Sir,” she inquired.

“A little planet called Vis Uban.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by photos of a snow covered park taken by The Medicated Sheep.


End file.
